Garlicky Hasselback Potatoes

I've been in the  mood for Potatoes and tonight I made Hasselback Potatoes for the first time and my son liked them so much that he asked me to post the recipe. For those of you who have never made them, they are extremely easy even though they look hard. The only important thing is to not cut all the way through the Potato and my trick is to put a chopstick on either side of the Potato while I am slicing. Then you drizzle some Garlic Butter (mixed with a little oil so it doesn't burn) between the slices and bake them. That's it! It takes up to an hour depending on the size of the Potatoes and I like to leave the skin on as I think is turns out wonderful that way. You can make these Potatoes cheesy if you want by sprinkling on almost any kind of cheese in the last few minutes of baking and that is something that I think would dress up the dish for company. This is such a beautiful Potato dish and it would go perfectly with a roast. Now that I'm thinking about it, it would be good to make it again to go with our Christmas dinner - perhaps with a little sprinkling of bacon bits and green onion to make it red and green!

Hasselback Potatoes

4 medium Russet Potatoes, washed

4 Tablespoons Salted Butter

2 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon of Sea Salt (like Maldon's)

Lightly oil a baking dish with 1 Tablespoon of the Oil and turn the oven on to 425 degrees. Take each Potato (one at a time) and put a chopstick on either side. With a very sharp knife, cut down in 1/4 slices. Place in the baking dish and lightly open up each slice being careful not to tear the potato slice away from the bottom. Repeat with the other 3 Potatoes. 

In a small frying pan, heat Butter until melted. Then take off the heat and add in the remaining Oil. Using a spoon, drizzle 1 Tablespoon of the Garlic Butter down each slice of one Potato. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.  Sprinkle the Sea Salt over the top of each Potato and put into the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Then remove from the oven and baste the Potatoes with the Butter Oil mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.  Bake for an additional 15 - 30 minutes (depending on the size of the Potatoes) or until the Potatoes are tender and the upper part is browned and crisp.  Serve immediately.

Five Element Analysis

Potatoes are part of the Earth Element so this is a very Earthy dish and a good side to a Lamb Roast or Ham or a Roasted Turkey.  The Butter and Garlic bring in the Metal Element and the Salt contributes a small amount of Water. But it clearly needs to be part of a meal where there are other vegetables or a salad and a main dish that bring in the other elements to create a balance Five Element meal.